2012 KIA SORENTO Complaints

View complaints related to 2012 KIA SORENTO. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. There are more than 850 complaints submitted for the 2012 KIA SORENTO. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - COLUMBIA, MD

    PLEASE SEE ATTACHED EMAIL SENT TO NHTSA .. I WAS ADVISED TO FILE A COMPLAINT. I NEED HELP! THIS ISSUE IS GETTING WORSE. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT ME ANYTIME REGARDING DOCUMENTATION. IF YOU DO NOT REACH ME DIRECTLY, FEEL FREE TO SPEAK WITH MY WIFE [XXX]. SHE CAN ALSO ATTEST THE ISSUES WE HAVE. THIS IS CONSTANT WHETHER IN PARK , DRIVING , IDLING. ALSO RECENTLY WE HAVE NOTICE THE LIGHT TO SIGNAL A MALFUNCTION IN THE AIR BAGS KEEPS COMING ON. IT ALSO FLASHES FOR A FEW MINUTES AT A TIME. PLEASE LET ME OR MY WIFE KNOW WHAT DOCUMENTS YOU NEED AND WE WILL GET THEM TO YOU IMMEDIATELY! THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS MATTER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - WEST JOROAN, UT

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V750000 (ENGINE) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS UNAVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO JERRY SEINER KIA SOUTH JORDAN (10301 S JORDAN GATEWAY, SOUTH JORDAN, UT 84095, (801) 506-6283) AND WAS DIAGNOSED WITH AN OIL LEAK. THE DEALER ALSO CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE.*DT*JB

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - SAN ANTONIO, TX

    I WAS DRIVING AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT JUST STARTED TO FLASH, AND THE CAR JUST DIED ON ME. I COSTED OFF TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND WAS TOWED TO MY GARAGE. I TRIED TO START THE CAR AND LOUD BANGING AND RATTLING STARTED, IT SOUNDS LIKE A CRANK SHAFT IS BEING THROWN ROUND.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - MARINETTE, WI

    ON 1/28/2020 AT 8 PM DURING A SNOW STORM, I HAD BEEN DRIVING NORTH ON HWY 41 AND HAD ENTERED THE CITY OF MARINETTE AND WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES PER HOUR. I MADE A RIGHT TURN ONTO A CITY STREET AND SUDDENLY WITH NO WARNING THE ENGINE JUST STOPPED. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT NO NOTHING. I MANAGED TO COAST OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND ATTEMPTED WITHOUT SUCCESS TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. I CONTACTED KIA AND WAS TOLD THEY WOULD NOT CONSIDER ASSISTING ME WITH ANY REPAIRS UNLESS THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER. I PAID $200 TO HAVE THE VEHICLE TOWED APPROXIMATELY 65 MILES TO DORSCH FORD IN GREEN BAY WISCONSIN, THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS PURCHASED. I WAS INFORMED THE ENGINE HAD SEIZED UP AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED AT MY EXPENSE FOR APPROXIMATELY $10,000 AS THE WARRANTY HAD RECENTLY EXPIRED. I CONTACTED KIA AGAIN TO INQUIRE ABOUT A SAFETY RECALL (SC147) THAT I HAD LEARNED ABOUT ONLINE WHERE THE 2012 KIA SORENTO WAS EXPERIENCING CATASTROPHIC ENGINE FAILURE DUE TO A MACHINING ISSUE WITH THE ENGINE DURING MANUFACTURING THAT CAUSED BEARINGS TO WEAR RESULTING IN ENGINE SEIZURE. I WAS ADVISED THIS RECALL WAS ONLY FOR THE 4 CYLINDER MODELS NOT THE 6 CYLINDER WHICH IS WHAT I PURCHASED. I COULD NOT AFFORD TO PURCHASE A NEW ENGINE FOR THIS VEHICLE. THE DEALER OFFERED ME $100 TO JUNK IT. I PAID APPROXIMATELY $30,000 FOR THE CAR AND IT WAS SERVICED DILIGENTLY AT THE DEALER. MY LOCAL MECHANIC SUGGESTED REPLACING THE ENGINE WITH A USED ENGINE WITH MORE THAN 100,000 MILES ON IT FOR $5000 FROM ANOTHER VEHICLE BUT WAS ADVISED I WOULD ONLY HAVE A 90 DAY WARRANTY AND THE SAME THING COULD HAPPEN. I DID NOT THINK THIS WAS A VERY GOOD IDEA SO THE VEHICLE IS SITTING IN MY GARAGE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - BROOKLYN, NY

    THE ENGINE STOPPED, I HAVE TO BUY A USED ENGINE, WHICH I HAVE THE DOCUMENTS TO SHOW.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - LINDALE, TX

    I HAD A BURNING OIL SMELL COMING INTO THE CAB OF THE CAR AND SMOKE POURING OUT OF THE ENGINE. I WAS DRIVING HOME AND NOTICED IT WHEN I GOT HOME FROM WORK. WE TOOK IT TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP THE NEXT DAY AND IT SMELLED BAD, BUT DIDN'T OVERHEAT. I TOOK IT IN AND IT HAD MULTIPLE OIL AND FUEL LEAKS. THEY REPLACED THE VALVE COVER GASKET AND FUEL LINE AND RESEALED THE FRONT COVER AND LOWER OIL PAN. THIS IS VERY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER RECALL (RECALL #20V750000) THEY HAVE ON A DIFFERENT 2.4L ENGINE. I CALLED THE CUSTOMER RELATIONS AT KIA AND THEY SAID THAT NO ISSUES HAD BEEN RELATED, BUT I'VE HAD MANY OTHER RECALLS ON MY ENGINE ALREADY AND HAVE A WARRANTY ON IT.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - LOCKPORT, NY

    FRONT DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE INOPERABLE FROM THE EXTERIOR HANDLE WITH NO PRIOR COMPLICATIONS OR DAMAGE ENSUED. KNOWN PROBLEM IN 2011 KIA SORENTO MODELS AND NOT RESOLVED IN NEWER MODELS. THIS CAN CAUSE MAJOR ISSUES IN SAFETY ESPECIALLY IN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS. THIS SHOULD BE RESOLVED IMMEDIATELY.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - MILWAUKEE, WI

    ENGIN STOPPED IN THE HIGHWAY DIDN'T START AFTER THAT. ALL THE SERVICES DONE IN THE DEALERSHIP. NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT ENGINE FROZEN. DEALER TRIED TO START CRANK MANUALLY BUT DIDN'T TURN. I WENT THROUGH THE DEALER FOR NESSASORY HELP BUT FAILED. STILL THE CAR SITTING IN GARAGE IN MY HOUSE SINCE THAT. I GOT ALL THE PROOFS OF THE SERVICES AND THE BLACK AND WITE PRINT OUTS OF THE DEFECTS WHICH MENTIONED. DEALER DIDN'T HELP ME AND I AM STILL TRYING TO FIND A LAWYER TO GO AGAINST THE COMPANY FOR THE REFUSAL FOR FIXING MY VEHICLE.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - ELDRED, NY

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HIS WIFE WAS DRIVING, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED WITH AN ABNORMAL SOUND COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING DRIVEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC HOWEVER, HALFWAY THROUGH THE JOURNEY, THE ENGINE MOUNT FRACTURED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS INSPECTED AND DETERMINED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. A DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2012 KIA SORENTO
    - MOUNT PROSPECT, IL

    TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER HAD EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT HAD EXPERIENCED A FAILURE AS THE VEHICLE WAS IN A IDLE MOTION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AN ABNORMAL NOISE APPEARED WITHOUT WARNING. NO LEAKS WERE PRESENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE TECHNICIAN DEEMED THE VEHICLE UNSAFE TO DRIVE. THE CONTACT DID MENTION THAT THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED AFTER THE DIAGNOSED TEST WAS RAN. NO DEALER WAS CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 157,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE